A Simple and Economic Synthesis of Monoacylated Alkanediamines by Thermal Transamidation

N-(ω-Aminoalkyl)amides 2 are easily synthesized by heating mixtures of excess α,ω-alkanediamines 1 and primary amides to temperatures between 150°C and 200°C, at which thermal transamidation occurs. Under the reaction conditions ammonia is released, and 2 is in equilibrium with the alkanediamine 1 and the α,ω-bis(acylamino)alkane 3. Thus, thermal transamidation is a practicable way to overcome the problem of diacylation which appears as an often recognized problem even in the latest literature.